Meg Cabot is no cat lady. Although the writer of “The Princess Diaries” series has two feline friends and has penned dozens of other books, Cabot isn’t the typical reclusive, introverted author type.
Instead, she watches “Gossip Girl” (but admits to not reading the books, as she doesn’t have the attention span), reads celebrity gossip sites and even screws around on the Internet at work.
In a phone interview with The State News last week, Cabot discussed her Indiana roots and where she still resides, as well as her latest book, “Big Boned,” which will be released Nov. 20.
The State News: What did you go to school for at Indiana University?
Meg Cabot: I was going to illustrate children’s books, and I did do some work, but it was very difficult. I’d get stuff to illustrate that was so stupid. I thought I could write better stuff than that.
SN: Does your Midwest personality flow into your writing?
MC: I think it definitely shows because all of my heroines have that Midwestern sensibility, regardless of whether or not they grew up in the Midwest. They’re all a little bit hometown girl.
SN: What are you reading right now?
MC: I’ve had so many books to blurb (when authors review others’ books, then give a quote to print on the book cover), so I’m always reading something that’s not coming out for months. I just read the teen book “Audrey, Wait!” by Robin Benway. It was awesome.
SN: The ninth “The Princess Diaries” book will be on sale in December. What is it about Princess Mia that you can’t get sick of?
MC: I just feel like she’s in every girl. I know she’s not — I get lots of e-mails as to why she’s so weird — but I feel like she represents every girl.
And I don’t know, she’s me, really, when I was that age. I can’t obviously get sick of myself. It is taken directly from my own diaries which I still have — huge chunks verbatim. But obviously not the princess part.
SN: Which of your own series do you relate to most?
MC: Probably ‘The Princess Diaries.’
I would have to say that Heather Wells in ‘Big Boned’ is closer to my adult voice, but I don’t obsess over my boys quite as much as Princess Mia does anymore.
I’m probably the same way about food as Heather Wells, as I sit here eating M&Ms.
SN: How much time a day do you spend writing?
MC: I try to set aside a normal work day, 9-to-5, break for lunch. The Internet is great, but it’s also such a time sucker. Actual writing part? Two or three hours.
SN: Who are your favorite celebrities that you’ve met?
MC: Besides Julie Andrews? Obviously when you’re the little kid, you watch ‘The Sound of Music’ every year, and she looks exactly the same, so I was really tongue-tied. I got to meet J.K. Rowling. That was really cool. And Stephen King — getting to meet all the writers you’ve always heard about.
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